Melvin "Sonny" Fiechtner

Melvin “Sonny” Fiechtner passed away suddenly on September 17, 2026, at the age of 87. Born in rural Lehr, North Dakota on May 13, 1939, to Wilhelm (William) Fiechtner and Martha (Dalke) Fiechtner, he was the sixth of seven children and was nicknamed “Sonny” by his sisters. He was known as Sonny to all who knew and loved him.

Sonny grew up on the family farmstead north of Lehr speaking mostly German until he started country school. The family moved to town in 1952 and Sonny went on to attend Lehr High School graduating in the Class of 1957. After high school, he attended NDSSS in Wahpeton for one year earning his certificate in electronics. He returned to Lehr and opened his own business, Fiechtner Radio & TV Repair, but more importantly he married his loving wife Arbadella (Nagel) Fiechtner on July 1, 1960. They remained in Lehr and Sonny kept his electronics business for 8 years as well as was a member of the ND Army National Guard for 8 years. He went on to work for Lehr Co-op Oil Company for four years until taking the position as the City of Lehr’s Chief of Police. In a small town, this job included many duties to keep the town running smoothly, and Sonny was always available to do what was needed. He continued to work for the City of Lehr until 1990, at which time he began working for Wishek Steel & Manufacturing where he would work until its closure in 2015. Sonny could never just sit around, so he went on to work for Fargo Assembly for a couple of years in between trips to California.

Sonny and Arbadella were content to make their home in Lehr near family and were happy to have one daughter, Bridget. Bridget kept them busy and was never far from her dad’s side whether he was tinkering on something in the garage, hanging someone’s new ceiling fan, or patrolling the streets of Lehr. As well, Sonny was never too busy to help Arbadella with things at home and in their large garden each summer. There was also always time to help out neighbors with anything that might need fixing and to enjoy conversation with old friends.

Lehr was always home, but the addition of two grandchildren, Carson and Caitlyn Murillo, drew the Fiechtners to San Antonio, TX, and later to Granite Bay, CA, to spend much cherished time with the grandkids. Sonny once again needed to keep busy and made sure that Carson and Caitlyn got off to school and looked forward to hearing about their days when they got home. In 2019, Sonny and Arbadella decided to move to California to be closer to Bridget, her husband Horacio Murillo, Carson, and Caitlyn. Nevertheless, Sonny remained connected to home and listened to KSJB radio on his phone to hear the latest news, polka music, and NDSU Bison football games. No matter where they were, Sonny remained close beside Arbadella for 66 years, sometimes waiting for her next instructions and in the last few years helping her get through every day. Through it all, he never complained and always could find a smile.

Sonny is survived by his wife Arbadella, his daughter Bridget, son-in-law Horacio, grandchildren Carson, Caitlyn, and Cynthia (Frederik) Murillo-Lohmann, sister Adeline Essig, sister-in-law Janet George, and brothers-in-law Willis Nagel and Wesley Diede as well as many beloved cousins, nieces, and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Ervin Fiechtner, sisters Doris (Harold) Lautt, Edna (Leonard) Olson, Arlys (Melvin) Martel, and Darlene (Wesley) Diede.